Model-based digital fingerprinting

Abstract

Digital fingerprinting systems, devices, and methods are arranged to acquire image data of a portion of a surface of a physical object, and further arranged to construct a model of the portion of the surface of the physical object from the image data. A digital fingerprint based on the model is extracted, and the physical object is inducted into a reference database system by storing a record in the reference database system that includes the digital fingerprint of the model.

1 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a mounting surface;   a central region spaced apart from the mounting surface to position an object for scanning the object;   an array of emitters of electromagnetic radiation mounted on the mounting surface substantially facing the central region; and   an array of sensors mounted on the mounting surface to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected by the object; wherein individual sensors of the array of sensors have lenses and sensor receptors, the lenses of the individual sensors focusing an area of the object onto their corresponding sensor receptors, and wherein the lenses of the individual sensors are focused and have a sufficient depth of field to permit capture of information regarding a part of the object's surface that is sufficiently in focus to allow point of interest localization and characterization of sufficient quality to allow for extraction of a digital fingerprint.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein individual emitters of the array of emitters emit visible light. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting surface is formed by an interior surface of a portion of a sphere. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting surface is formed by an interior surface of a portion of an ellipsoid. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting surface is formed by an interior surface of a portion of a cuboid. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein a field of view of each individual sensor of the array of sensors is illuminated by at least one each of red, green, and blue emitters. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein individual emitters of the array of emitters emit white light. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein individual emitters of the array of emitters are located approximately equidistant from the central region and have approximately equal intensity in operation. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein individual sensors of the array of sensors have overlapping fields of view, wherein individual emitters of the array of emitters have overlapping fields of illumination, wherein points on a surface of the object are visible to at least two sensors of the array of sensors, and wherein the at least two sensors of the array of sensors are illuminated by one or more emitters of the array of emitters, the one or more emitters each emitting light of a different frequency. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein individual sensors of the array of sensors have red, green, and blue receptors that are tuned to respective emitter frequencies. 
     
     
         22 .- 25 . (canceled)